Is the Cedarburg covered bridge the last one in Wisconsin?

It's the last historic covered bridge in Wisconsin — the last of the more than 40 original 19th-century covered bridges the state once had. Built in 1876, it stands on its original site. A few modern covered bridges and replicas exist elsewhere in Wisconsin, but this is the last historic one.

When was the Cedarburg covered bridge built?

In 1876, by the Town of Cedarburg, after area farmers petitioned to replace crossings that kept washing out. It was retired from vehicle traffic in 1962 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Where is the Cedarburg covered bridge?

In Covered Bridge County Park at 1700 Covered Bridge Road, Cedarburg, about three miles north of downtown and a mile north of the Highways 60/143 junction (Five Corners). It's roughly 20 miles north of Milwaukee.

Can you drive across the covered bridge?

No. The bridge was retired from vehicle traffic in 1962 and is now pedestrian-only. A modern span was built alongside it. You can walk through it.

Is Covered Bridge Park free to visit?

Yes. The county park is free and open year-round, with on-site parking, picnic tables, grills, drinking water, and restrooms.

How was the covered bridge built?

From pine and oak timbers cut and milled near Baraboo, assembled in a lattice-truss design secured with two-inch hardwood pegs rather than nails or bolts. The original span is 120 feet long.

What is there to do at Covered Bridge Park?

Walk the historic bridge, picnic along Cedar Creek, and read the historical markers. The park has shelters, grills, and restrooms, and is a popular spot for weddings and photos, especially in fall.

Cedarburg Covered Bridge: Wisconsin's Last Historic Covered Bridge

The 1876 Cedarburg covered bridge is the last historic covered bridge in Wisconsin. History, how to visit, parking, and what to do at Covered Bridge Park.

The Cedarburg covered bridge is the last historic covered bridge in Wisconsin, built in 1876 and still standing on Cedar Creek about three miles north of downtown. Once known as the Red Bridge, it's a 120-foot lattice-truss span held together with oak pegs — no nails, no bolts — and it sits in a quiet county park that's free to visit year-round. This guide covers the history, the honest answer to whether it's really Wisconsin's "last" covered bridge, and everything you need to actually visit: where it is, parking, and what else to do at the park.

A quick history: the Red Bridge of 1876

Area farmers petitioned for the bridge after the previous crossings kept washing out, and it went up in 1876. The pine and oak timbers were cut and milled near Baraboo, hauled to Cedar Creek, and fitted into a lattice-truss design using two-inch hardwood pegs rather than any metal fasteners — a construction method that's almost never used now. The original span ran 120 feet long and 12 feet wide. In 1927 a center pier was added underneath so it could carry the weight of cars and trucks, and the Ozaukee County Board took over its upkeep in 1940.

After 85 years of service the bridge was retired in 1962, when a modern span was built alongside it. Since then it's been preserved on its original site for pedestrian traffic only, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. You can walk through it, but not drive.

Is it really Wisconsin's last covered bridge?

This is the question people actually search, and the honest answer needs one word of precision. Wisconsin once had more than 40 covered bridges; the Cedarburg bridge is the last of the original historic ones still standing. That's how the Library of Congress and the National Register describe it: the last historic covered bridge in the state. A 1955 plaque from the Daughters of the American Revolution simply reads "Last Covered Bridge in Wisconsin," and for the original 19th-century bridges, that's accurate. There are a handful of newer covered bridges and pedestrian replicas elsewhere in Wisconsin built long after 1876, so "last historic" is the precise claim — and this is the real one, on its original site, not a reproduction.

Where it is and how to visit

The bridge sits in Covered Bridge County Park at 1700 Covered Bridge Road, Cedarburg, about three miles north of downtown and roughly a mile north of the Highways 60/143 junction known as Five Corners. From downtown Cedarburg it's a short drive north; from Milwaukee it's about 20 miles. The park is free and open year-round.

Covered Bridge County Park

Parking is on-site at the county park, and the bridge is a short walk from the lot. There's no admission. Because it's pedestrian-only, you park, walk over to the bridge, and cross on foot — it takes as long as you want to linger.

What to do at Covered Bridge Park

The bridge is the draw, but the park around it makes it worth more than a quick photo stop. Cedar Creek runs right through, and the park has picnic tables, grills, drinking water, and restrooms, plus a picnic shelter. It's a popular spot for picnics, and the county notes it's routinely booked for large groups, events, and weddings — the bridge is one of the most photographed backdrops in Ozaukee County, drawing wedding parties and senior-photo sessions especially in fall.

Historic Cedarburg Covered Bridge

Plan on 30 minutes to an hour: time to walk the bridge, read the historical markers, and sit by the creek. It pairs naturally with a day in Cedarburg — see downtown first, then drive up to the bridge, or the reverse.

Best time to visit

Fall is the classic time — the tree cover around the creek turns, and the red bridge against autumn color is the shot everyone comes for. But it's genuinely a year-round stop: quiet and green in summer, stark and photogenic in winter snow, and easy any time since there's no admission or seasonal closure. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and the smallest crowds; weekend afternoons in October are the busiest.

Make a day of it

The covered bridge is a natural addition to a broader Cedarburg visit. Downtown — with the Cedar Creek Settlement, the shops, and the restaurants — is a short drive south. For the waterfall and the creek walk closer to town, Cedar Creek Park is the other creekside stop worth pairing. And for the full itinerary, our things to do in Cedarburg guide maps out a day around both.